Page 9 of Obsessed

No, not someone. Rain.

“Need any help?” The pitch of his voice and the way he asked indicated that he was offering his assistance withanything.

Freezing, Mason tilted his head, wanting so badly to snap a picture, but he wasn’t sure what to say and he had a lot to deal with, so he went with the option that was easiest for him.

“No.” Knocking on the door, he let himself into the bridal suite, knowing that wherever his Gran was, she had a frown for him. Her love had made him a mildly productive member of society but he still had trouble conversing normally, never mind speaking to someone he had a fixation on. He only needed to see Rain; talking to him was a little above his pay grade.

Despite his rudeness, Gran must’ve lent him a hand, because even with the sizable guest list and the groom’s mother ordering him around, the event went smoothly. The bridal party took direction well and the couple were very much in love, so they were jovial and kind, not minding Mason’s taciturn personality at all; however, Rain was an even bigger distraction than Mason had expected, and he spent his minuscule downtime catching sly photos once again. While he made sure to keep his angels clean, deep inside he knew that Rain knew, for his spine straightened whenever the camera turned his way, as if he could feel it.

“Mrs. Rushio sent me up to tell you the bridal party is doing shots at the bottom of the stairs.” Marci’s tone told him that the groom’s mother was leaning on her last nerve too, but she remained impeccably professional. While Owen Parker managed the venue, Marci was the heart of The Pointe, a top-notch maître d’ who ran events like an efficient machine. All of the clients loved her; the staff both adored and feared her, and somehow Mason had been hired to shoot her wedding. He hadn’t figured out how he felt about that, but people who worked in the industry only picked the best, so he should be a little proud.

Following her orders, he caught up to the group right before they toasted, getting in the middle of their circle and aiming the lens up into the connection of their glasses, slightly underexposing the last few pictures, the creative boost from Rain inspiring him in all facets of his photography.

As if thoughts could summon, his elfin prince appeared, taking the empty glasses and giving Mason a sultry glance before heading to the kitchen. Stunned, Mason dropped his reflector bag and the discs spilled out across the floor but he paid them no mind. Pressing the shutter, he took as many photos as he could before the swinging door blocked Rain from view.

Grabbing his elbow, Mrs. Rushio demanded a few pictures outside with her son, and Mason hastily grabbed his reflectors before scrambling after her. Thoughts still on that smoky gaze, Mason’s mind spun with ideas, and he channeled that into the present, taking photos that made the groom’s mother undeniably happy. By the end of the night, he had a flurry of requests for business cards and a hefty tip.

Social battery on empty, he took the first opportunity to slip out, wishing he had enough energy to find Rain but knowing that he wouldn’t be able to speak if he did. Between Rain’s distracting beauty and being run ragged, Mason’s brain had tilted on its side, so he didn’t realize he was missing a reflector until he got home.

Scowling, he rubbed his chin. It wasn’t a long ride back but he didn’t want to be snapped up for conversations by the staff, or worse, Rain. Wait, didn’t Ollie say that everyone went to a bar after work? Trusting that information, Mason waited ninety minutes, and when he pulled up to The Pointe again his lips quirked.

It was dark with only a few lights on in the back and he saw no one as he wandered in through the side door, crossing empty rooms. Always with a camera, he snapped a few photos, wanting to process them so the spaces looked haunted, his echoing footsteps only adding to the ambiance as he went downstairs to where he’d dropped the reflectors. It took him a moment to see that the missing one had been placed on the flat end of the banister. Picking it up, he inspected it, glad that it hadn’t been stepped on.

A distant muffled cry had his head swiveling, some instinctual part of him knowing that it was a cry of pleasure, its timbre strangely familiar.

Was that…Rain?

Curiosity roared, along with something else Mason couldn’t define, something that made his teeth clench and his stomach burn, and he crept down the hallway, stopping outside the storage room. Another cry confirmed that Rain was definitely in there with someone, its volume telling Mason that they weren’t anywhere near the door.

Good, because Mason needed tosee.

Glad that the hallway was pitch dark, he slid inside silently, but he could’ve paraded in and slammed the door because it sounded like there were more than two people back there. The slapping of skin on skin, the grunts, and Rain’s breathy moans soaked the room in sex. Wrinkling his nose, Mason waited until his eyes adjusted to the distant light, moving forward slowly until there were gaps in the piles of chairs, showing him a threesome.

The fire in his stomach intensified as he recognized the other men. The floppy-haired one constantly got people’s drink orders wrong and still propositioned the guests despite Marci’s policy, and the stockier one with the man bun always wandered into Mason’s shots. Rain’s tastes were questionable at best.

But Mason wasn’t here to judge, he was here to witness and document. Taking a deep breath, he grasped his camera and shifted so he could see only Rain. Double-checking that all settings were silent, he zoomed in on that pleasure-soaked face. The lines on Rain’s forehead made it seem like he was concentrating but his plush open mouth told a different story, and Mason snapped photo after photo of his rolled-up eyes, his bitten lips, and the seductive drape of hair over his limbs. Even the harsh fluorescent lighting was kind to Rain, playing over his quivering body and strumming Mason’s brain until it sang.

But his stomach still churned, demanding attention, and he sat back, trying to figure out what was wrong when understanding cried out along with Rain.

Mason was jealous. Because Rain belonged tohim.

3

RAIN

Rainblinkedawakeassoon as he heard Gage’s truck in the driveway. What was he doing home? It was the middle of the day, the place was empty, and Rain had been trying to nap before his shift.

Cursing, he grabbed his pepper spray and curled up in the corner of the bed, knowing that his various locks and guards would keep him safe for now, but the outside keyhole was covered in scrapes. Gage clearly wanted to get into his room, and every time they crossed paths the tension grew thicker. He needed to move out but it would be another six weeks before he could afford something that wasn’t water-stained and full of mold. He’d even been trying to find a roommate but no one at work could help and anyone he found online was either too suspicious or already taken.

Slamming the front door behind him, Gage stomped in, his footsteps shaking the floor until he came to a halt in front of Rain’s room. Silence stretched; Rain could feel Gage burning a hole through the wood with his stare and then the door rattled with a bang as if he’d punched it, sending Rain halfway up the wall he’d been leaning against. Heart hammering in his chest, Rain went into full flight mode as Gage continued down the hall, closing the bathroom door with the same amount of force.

Rain couldn’t go back to sleep after that. Grabbing his always-ready backpack, he waited for Gage to leave the bathroom. Once he did, Rain would determine an exit path.

Another bang sounded through the walls and Rain cringed, wishing that Tristan was here. Even though things had fallen to pieces, they’d been happy for a while. Tristan had somehow tamed Rain’s mother, giving her stability and loving-kindness, and she’d basked in it for years.

Now that Rain was older, he wondered if she’d ever loved Tristan or if she even had the capacity to love. Some might say she wasn’t playing with a full deck; some might say it was manipulation. To be fair, Rain wasn’t really sure himself. All he knew was that if she was around, then he needed to be on his guard because while she’d wanted a friend in her child, she didn’t act like one in return.

And she also had the worst timing because he heard the distinct sound of a car radio coming up the street. She always blasted music with the windows down, subjecting the neighborhood to her terrible choices, but at least it gave Rain a warning. Adjusting his backpack, he closed his eyes and listened, tracking her as she parked and made her way inside, falling onto the couch with an affected sigh. Gage left the bathroom and the two of them had a quick chat about why they were home in the middle of the day. Apparently, work had been boring on her end and Gage had come home to check on things, his tone telling Rain that this wasn’t a coincidence, and a chill ran up his spine as he realized that Gage had cameras too.

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